To provide an operating method of a digital camera and the digital camera in which a reference image effective for generating a high dynamic range image is obtained by necessary minimum frequency of photographing when photographing the reference image to be used for the generation of the high dynamic range image.

The operating method of the digital camera includes imaging a predetermined object to capture a first reference image. Thereafter, a frequency distribution of luminance values is obtained from the first reference image. Then, a feature amount is obtained from the obtained frequency distribution. The predetermined object is then imaged under an exposure condition determined from the obtained feature amount to capture a second reference image.

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